Lonely No More
by Phantom Girl6
Summary: A KakashiIruka fanfic. Rated for later chapters. The fifth chapter is an Author Note
1. Chapter 1

Okay so I wasn't happy with my original chapters' one and two so I'm redoing and reposting both of them. But I still don't own Naruto.

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Shifting his body slightly, Iruka adjusted his position so that he would be more comfortable. He was perched up in a tree near the memorial rock. Standing by the rock was the jounin Kakashi Hatake. Iruka had heard rumours of the jounin's frequent morning visits to the rock, and had confirmed it about a week ago. Since confirming it, he stopped by daily before going to class.

His and Kakashi's relationship was still a little tense after their "fight" about Team Seven's participating in the Chunin Exam. But Iruka couldn't hold a grudge for long, especially after noticing that Kakashi didn't seem to have any friends and now with Team Seven gone… he couldn't help but think that the jounin might be lonely. Kakashi did sort of hang around a few jounins… but he didn't seem to be very close to any of them.

It has been about a week since he started coming and the jounin still didn't acknowledge his presence. He wonder if maybe Kakashi didn't want him there but then decided that, if Kakashi didn't, the jounin would have said or done something by now. So Iruka continued coming for a few minutes everyday. He wanted to at least try to ease the jounin's loneliness.

Checking on the time, he quietly let himself down and heading for the Academy. He didn't notice Kakashi watch him leave. Kakashi gazed in his direction for a few moments before returning his attention to the rock. Kakashi then sighed softly. Focusing his gaze on a certain someone's name, he murmured softly. "Obito… do I deserve this? After everything I've done?" There was no answer of course, there never was.

Raising a hand, he touched the forehead protector where it covered his sharigan eye. Sometimes, when he was most depressed, it felt like the sharigan was crying. He wondered if it was Obito's doing. Obito had always been a bit of a cry-baby, though like Naruto, he would never admit it. Like that one time… he had almost drowned and Obito was practically bawling like a baby. He tried to deny it later of course.

He had to try and restrain a smile from coming out. While it looked like he was dead, Obito took full liberty and cried. Of course, Yondaime being a sneaky bastard didn't tell the Uchiha that Kakashi was breathing.

Inhaling and exhaling softly, Kakashi turned to go. He probably should go see the Godaime and see if she had any missions for him. With the shortage of shinobi it was practically guaranteed.

Using the teleportation jutsu, he quickly appeared right outside her office. He knocked briefly before entering.

As he guessed, she did have a mission for him. An A-ranked mission. Getting the details, he left to go prepare. About a block from his apartment though, he spotted a familiar blur of orange and green. He made a quick but necessary detour, determined to avoid Gai at all costs. Some ten minutes later, he reached his apartment without encountering the man and congratulated himself on his victory.

He didn't stay long; just grabbed his ninja gear, and Icha Icha.

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Iruka winced visibly as one of his student's attempt at aiming a kunai at the target went… horrible. The kunai nearly ended up hitting a passer-by. Luckily the passer-by was ninja so was able to dodge it and took it in good humour… no doubt recalling his own feeble attempts as an Academy student.

Konohamaru was trying to show off to anyone who would pay attention, his incredible aim. Which in Iruka's opinion wasn't incredible as it was just dangerous.

After what seemed like forever, class ended and he dismissed the students. Collecting the kunai and shurikan, he returned them to the classroom. He set the box down then paused when he realised someone was watching him. Gripping a kunai tightly, he turned slightly. Kakashi waved cheerfully at him. "Yo."

"Kakashi-san," He lowered the kunai. "When did you get back from the mission?" Kakashi moved away from the doorway. "About an hour ago. The little monsters giving you trouble?" Iruka smiled and related the day's target practicing to him. Kakashi winced himself when he heard about it noting that he was glad that he didn't come sooner.

Iruka laughed at the expression on Kakashi's face. He didn't think he'd seen the copy ninja look like that before. Kakashi blinked at Iruka's reaction then laughed himself. "Did I look stupid?" Iruka shook his head. "Just a, "thank heavens I didn't come earlier" look. And I don't blame you."

Heading over to the desk, he collected the essays that he had the students write and hand in. Kakashi smiled at Iruka's interpretation of his expression. Pretty accurate despite that most of his face was covered. Of course, Iruka was a teacher so he had to be able to accurately guess things from a person's expression.

"Remind me to not bother to try and lie to you. I'd just be wasting my time." He absently scratched the back of his head.

Iruka smiled, recognizing a compliment when he heard one. Kakashi just grinned and turned away slightly, raising a hand. "Well… later Iruka-san." He strolled on out of the room at a leisurely pace.

The next morning it was pouring rain. Taking a quick glance outside, Iruka hurried to get ready. He made sure to grab an umbrella on his out. He proceeded as quickly as possible to the memorial rock knowing fully well who would be there.

Kakashi didn't flinch or start when the rain stopped pouring down on him. He just looked mildly at Iruka who was standing right beside him. Before, the chunin stayed back giving Kakashi his space. Not that Kakashi minded. He had actually been considering letting Iruka closer.

Turning back to the rock he closed his eyes. "Iruka… thank you." Iruka glanced at him briefly before smiling. "For what?" Now Kakashi was surprised. He studied the younger man intently before relaxing. "Just thank you." He responded. He looked thoughtful for a second gazing at the sky.

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Okay so I'll try to have chapter two up soon. Be patient.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so here is the second chapter. And I still don't own Naruto.

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Iruka wondered briefly what Kakashi was thinking about; he looked so serious gazing up at the sky. He couldn't imagine what might be going through the older ninja's head. But then, everything about Kakashi was a mystery. Why he always came to the memorial rock, why he always covered half of his face, why he always read that…book… and how did he get the sharigan if he wasn't a member of the Uchiha clan? He shifted his body a little, careful not to move the umbrella too much. Kakashi smiled as he noticed Iruka's careful consideration. "You don't have to worry about me Iruka-san. It's my own fault really for not bringing an umbrella." He didn't want the chunin to go out of his way for him. Iruka was being nice enough to him as was.

He didn't think that just anyone would stand out in the rain when he could be inside drinking something warm. He almost felt a little guilty. A warm smile directed at him by Iruka dispelled that though. "I don't mind. I couldn't just let you catch cold or something." Kakashi blinked then grinned though it wasn't visible. Iruka gazed thoughtfully at the stone while Kakashi studied the sky again.

"It doesn't look like it'll stop raining anytime soon." Kakashi murmured softly. He glanced at Iruka. "Should we head back?" Iruka nodded a little, "If you're done." Instead of walking away from the rock, Kakashi got a hold of Iruka and quickly used the teleportation jutsu. Iruka blinked when they emerged and looked around bewilderedly. "Maa… why walk through the rain when you have a faster way?"

"Kakashi-san, is this your apartment?" Kakashi nodded and took the umbrella from Iruka's hands, closing it. He set it by the door way and slipped his sandals off. The apartment was small, Iruka noted. There was just a small kitchen, bathroom and the bedroom. A small table was located near the stove, the chairs arranged so that one could watch the door and window while sitting down. Iruka shook his head and quickly removed his own sandals. "Thanks."

Kakashi waved it off as he began to rummage through a cupboard. "Tea, Iruka-san? I know there's a box of it somewhere in here…" He eventually found it and pulled it out. "Ah, sure, thank you." Iruka glanced around and found the kettle, checking to make sure there was enough water in it before turning it on; while Kakashi got out two cups.

Once the tea was made, they sat down at the table. Iruka gazed thoughtfully out the window watching the rain pouring down. "Wonder how Naruto's holding up. Hope he's not getting soaked… or worse." Iruka blinked when Kakashi shook his head. "Don't worry. Jiriaya will take care of him. He'll do a good job of that. Although Naruto will have his hands full trying to keep him away from the women's hot baths."

Kakashi chuckled, knowing the full truth of that statement. He also knew Naruto would most likely fail in his attempts. Well… it would teach the kid that he can't always get his way and patience which Naruto definitely needed. Iruka sipped the still hot liquid carefully. He felt that he could trust Kakashi's word about Jiriaya. Kakashi knew the Frog Hermit better than he did after all. All he knew was that he was one of the Legendary Sannin, he wrote Icha Icha… and he liked peeping on bathing women. That information was courtesy of Naruto.

Kakashi leaned back into his chair, cup still on the table. He would wait for it to cool down and Iruka wasn't looking before trying to down it in a second or two. He had tried to do that, once when the liquid was still piping hot. His mouth was burnt for several days. He closed his eyes with his hands clasped in front of him while Iruka was studying the surroundings. It really was a small apartment. But then… Kakashi probably wasn't home that often, if his days at the mission desk proved how busy a jounin of Kakashi's level could get.

He exhaled softly, noting that Kakashi didn't have many personal things lying around. There was the odd kunai, and shurikan lying around; in one corner of the kitchen/living room were what appeared to be old bandages. There were two doors; he guessed were the bathroom and Kakashi's bedroom. Quietly sipping the tea he glanced out the window. "It's quiet without Naruto." He muttered softly. "I know I shouldn't worry so much but…" He glanced at Kakashi, blinking when he saw that Kakashi was smiling. At least… his eye had curved up so Iruka guessed that he was smiling.

"I won't tell you not to worry. That would be pointless as no one can safely say what will happen." He scratched the back of his head, gingerly. "Besides, Naruto needs someone who cares enough to worry about him." Iruka was surprised at Kakashi's words, and then frowned as he recalled how he chose to ignore Naruto over Sasuke. He knew Naruto needed someone to care for him, yet he still gave his attention to the Uchiha? His scowl deepened, becoming more visible.

Kakashi frowned when he noticed the expression on the teacher's face. It was kind of hard not to with Iruka sitting right across from him. His own expression grew serious. While he couldn't read minds, he had a fairly good idea of where Iruka's thoughts were going. He sighed softly. It was probably inevitable. He was actually amazed that it hadn't happened sooner. It was the reason he took so long in letting Iruka come closer to him while at the memorial rock.

"You can say it you know…" Iruka started slightly and stared at the Copy Ninja. "I won't think less of you if you did. How I should've treated my students as equals, how I should've…" Kakashi broke off unexpectedly blinking as Iruka's hand was pressed right against his mouth. Damn… he didn't even notice Iruka move! Damn… and Iruka was still a chunin because? He blinked again, as Iruka's hand was still pressed firmly against his mouth.

Satisfied that Kakashi was going to be silent, Iruka pulled his hand back. He could have gone for the mask, Kakashi noted suddenly. Yet he didn't. Iruka went back to the chair he had left to shut Kakashi up. "I don't need to. It sounds like you already blame yourself." He murmured softly as he picked up the tea cup. He didn't add that, once he pulled his thoughts together, he realised that Kakashi probably had some sort of reason for paying more attention to Sasuke.

While Iruka was looking at the cup, Kakashi quickly downed his own. Iruka smiled, knowing that the jounin would do that. Finishing his, he stood up. "I'm going to get going. Thank you for the tea Kakashi-san." He bowed slightly before heading to the door.

Kakashi closed his eyes, brooding to himself as he listened to the sound of Iruka pulling his sandals back on and the opening and closing of the apartment door. He smiled to himself. Maybe… just maybe he had found a friend.

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Author's note: Please forgive the time it took to get this up. I've just started college and don't want to screw my first year up plus a week was wasted thanks to having to get my wisdom teeth taken out which hurt like hell!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to the people who are being patient with me. Anyway, chapter three is now up!

Disclaimer: Need I say it? Don't own, don't sue.

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Kakashi found that he was in a better mood after his earlier realisation. Something that even Gai noticed when he arrived to challenge him. He won the challenge, bringing them back to a tie. He didn't remember the score but Gai sounded sure of it so that was good enough. At least one of them cared enough to actually remember the damn score. He knew that he never would. When he was finally able to get away from Gai's poses and speeches, he began a search. Sources had informed him that Jiriaya and Naruto were in town for a short time and he wanted to talk to the Sannin. While he was at it, he would mention to Naruto that Iruka missed him. He figured the boy wouldn't mind visiting his favourite teacher. And it would make Iruka happy too.

It didn't take him too long to locate the two, just inside the village gates. Alighting nearby, he straightened up. "Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto seemed to be in a really good mood as he hugged the jounin. After exchanging greetings, he mentioned that Iruka would probably like to see him again. That worked perfectly. The boy's face lit up automatically and he looked at Jiriaya to see if it was okay. The Frog Hermit just waved him off. "Get going; just remember that we're leaving again tomorrow early." Naruto was gone in an instant.

Iruka had just finished putting a load of laundry in the washer when he heard several loud impatient knocks. That could only be one person. He realised with a grin. Naruto.

"When did you get back?" He asked once he opened the door and admitted the slightly damp boy. Naruto, of course, had promptly hugged him. "Just a little while ago. Kakashi-sensei showed up and told me that you wanted to see me and Ero-Sannin said that I could visit as long as I remember that we leave tomorrow." Somehow he managed to rattle all of that with his face still pressed into Iruka's vest.

Kakashi… did what? Iruka blinked slowly as he tried to hide his surprise. "Not that it mattered because I was going to come see you anyway once I got away from Ero-Sannin." Naruto continued on not noticing Iruka's behaviour. Iruka shook his head, and smiled down at the boy. He would have to thank Kakashi for this. He decided. It showed, to him anyway, that Kakashi at least cared to mention it to Naruto.

Kakashi stifled a small yawn as he sat cross-legged on his bed. He glanced blearily at the clock to see what time it was before groaning. Even for him this was ridiculously early. He considered trying to go back to sleep but suspected that it wouldn't work out for him. And seeing on how his luck was going, he would probably get a mission sometime today too. He groaned again, reaching to run his hand through very messy hair. Finally resigned to his fate, he went to take a long shower and get something to eat.

An hour or so later, he made his way to the memorial rock and sat against a tree close by. The same tree Iruka used to sit in. He barely noted, in his state. The sun was just beginning to show itself. His head nodded a little.

"Kakashi-san… are you awake now?" Kakashi blinked slowly as he tried to focus on the speaker. The voice sounded rather amused. "You know, sleeping outside when you could be sleeping in a bed is a pretty good sign of insanity. At least I think it is." His head was resting on something soft. "Hey you are awake right?"

"No…" Kakashi mumbled finally focusing his vision. Iruka raised his eyebrows, still smiling a little. He wasn't wearing his vest, Kakashi noted surprised, until he realised that that was what his head was resting on. He had forgotten his… along with his headband it would seem. He consciously made sure his Sharingan eye was closed.

"So what are you doing napping out here?" Iruka asked, satisfied that Kakashi was at least semi-awake. "Mmm… woke up early… came here… must have dozed off." Kakashi replied as he attempted to sit up. He mentally checked to see if he had at least remembered his mask. Yup, it was in place. Iruka shook his head. Apparently he thought a jounin dozing off outside was amusing.

"You're cruel…" Remembering that Iruka had loaned him his vest to serve as a pillow, he added, "In a good way."

"Well I tried to wake you up but you just kept sleeping. Aren't jounins supposed to be able to sense another person's presence even when sleeping?" Kakashi yawned. "While on the job yeah." He suspected that Iruka wouldn't let him live that down. And somehow, he didn't mind.

Shaking off some of the dew, and leaves off of his vest, Iruka bundled it up before glancing at Kakashi. "I have to get to class… are you going to be okay?" Kakashi nodded, standing up. "Yeah, yeah. Get going before the little monsters think that they can skip class."

Iruka slipped off quietly as Kakashi tried to work out a few kinks from his "nap". He had to admit… seeing the Copy Ninja in such a position was rather… startling. He reminded Iruka of a child almost, fast asleep like that. He wondered absently if, just maybe… Kakashi didn't wake up because he felt safe enough with the chunin; so his internal alarm didn't off as it probably would have if it had been someone Kakashi didn't know. He pondered the possibility.

His own reaction to the possibility was surprise and… pride. But of course, he was jumping to conclusions about why Kakashi's internal alarm didn't wake him up. But still… to see the ninja like that… he inwardly hoped that no one was allowed to.

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Author's note: The end of chapter three. And for those who are wondering about the term Naruto uses to address Jiriaya, in the Japanese version that's what Naruto calls him all the time.

Ero-Sannin Perverted Hermit. Suits him doesn't it.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you Hiei Jaganshi Urameshi for pointing out my error. I feel rather silly now but anyway, here is chapter four.

Disclaimer: Don't own so please don't sue.

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He felt the kunai puncture the person's lung, as he turned to defend himself against an attack on the right. He was soaked in blood, whether it was his or the enemy's he didn't know. There was no time to check. He had to live… he had to get back to Konoha. He needed to get the scroll to the Hokage; it contained some information on Sound.

The enemies seemed to be backing off a little, but that didn't mean they had given up. Kakashi had killed too many of their comrades for that and undoubtedly they were under orders to bring the scroll back or else if Orochimaru was involved. Allowing himself a minute to breathe, he surveyed the remains of the pursuers. Only four were left… not that he had counted the whole group. Several were lying nearby; lifeless, utterly silent. The others were scattered around the place.

Of the four remaining, two looked to be female. He was low on energy, but hoped that he had enough to deal with them and make it back. His left shoulder hurt like hell as did his ribs. A ripple of movement drew his attention sharply as one of the Sound ninja attempted a jutsu. Without needing to think, he copied it right back at them. Apparently they didn't have a clue about the Sharingan and still hadn't figured it out. Well, that was their problem. It suited him just fine.

Although… it didn't really make sense that they didn't know that the Sharingan allowed him to copy their jutsus. Orochimaru could hardly forget to mention a fact like that if he wanted the scroll back. That and these guys seemed easier than the ones during Sound's attack on Konoha. There were just a whole lot of them. Kakashi didn't get nervous very easily, but he was now. Breaking away from the now three Sound ninja, he quickly summoned one of his ninja dogs. Thankfully the dog understood the silent orders and was off running towards Konoha.

These three weren't a concern… but if Orochimaru had something else planned then back-up was a good idea. It didn't hurt to be cautious, even Tsunade told him to call from help even if he wasn't certain.

Iruka glanced up from his desk as the school bell rang signaling the end of class. "Alright dismissed. And remember to study for the test tomorrow." There was a chorus of groans at the statement but Iruka hardly expected less. "Bye Iruka-sensei!" He waved, smiling at the student.

Compiling two piles of papers, one that needed to be marked, and one that was already marked; he gathered up the one pile and started for home. A lot of people waved to him on the street which he returned as best as he could with the armful that he had. When he reached his apartment, he managed to somehow unlock the door without dropping anything.

He set them down on the small table in the living room before heading to the bathroom to get a shower in before finishing the marking. The hot water always felt good after a day of dealing with "the little monsters", as Kakashi was fond of calling them. The very first time he called them that, Iruka got infuriated until he realized that from Kakashi's POV, they probably were. He didn't think the jounin was used to dealing with people. He seemed too much a loner to have very good, if any, people skills.

Iruka sighed and gave his head a quick shake. His thoughts seemed to be drifting to Kakashi more and more often these days. It was rather… unsettling. He brooded on it a bit. Kakashi was certainly a strange individual. He had an odd and sometimes out of place humor, and at times, Iruka could see pain in the one eye that was exposed.

Shaking his head again, he finished washing his hair and got up off the shower. Toweling himself dry and then his hair, he donned a light yukata and quickly brushed his hair. Settling himself at the table, he began marking.

Kakashi winced as Tsunade mended his shoulder and ribcage. He had been lucky. His dog had managed to bring reinforcements in time to prevent the anything serious from happening. As he had suspected, the group he had been dealing with wasn't the real attempt at getting the scroll back. There had been others waiting, well-concealed. Very well-concealed seeing on how Kakashi hadn't sensed them at all.

Satisfied that the injuries were healed, Tsunade sat back down as Kakashi finished out the scroll and handed it over. "Thank you Kakashi-san, you may go." He didn't hang around, promptly heading for home. Or at least… that had been his intention.

Halfway there, he paused. Iruka was probably home by now. He could drop by for a minute just to let the chunin know that he was back before heading home. He smiled a little. He didn't know why the chunin had decided to take time out of his own mornings to stay with him at the memorial but it made his mornings more meaningful. He knew Iruka didn't know who he was coming to the memorial for but Iruka respected his privacy.

He didn't try and pry into things that Kakashi didn't want to talk about. Things that was still too painful to bring up. He also liked the expressions Iruka made whenever he got angry. It was rather funny.

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A little bit more mature than the other chapters since someone who will remain nameless can't read that this story is rated M for later chapters. Anyway please review and give me feedback.


	5. Author's Note

Trowa if you don't like the story the way it is going then don't bother reading it. Perhaps I did overreact with my little comment and I apologize, but it seems to me that you are deliberately trying to slander me. I'm not going to cater to your needs, just because you feel it is "_slow as molasses_" and if you can explain how I am OOC, I would appreciate it. Except for you, no one else has any complaint and the way that you are complaining seems to me more childish than what I am writing. I am not going to explain myself to you or cater to your needs; this story is going the way I want it to go.

Unless you give me actual feedback asides from "_Fuck you and your shit fic_" or "_how did you rate this M? This is false rating and you should be shamed_." (When I said that it is M-Rated for later chapters meaning that the rating will pick up, and I'm not trying to offend I am just trying to get you to understand that) I will see no reason to bother paying you anymore attention.

Be offended if you like, I really don't care. But don't bother posting slander in a review because I will laugh at it after this.


	6. The Real Chapter 5

So here is the REAL chapter five, and I thank all of you who have posted encouraging reviews. I was a little surprised when I got back to my account and found five people have reviewed in one day... but it was a good surprise! So thank you for your consideration.

Disclaimer: Nope don't own. Too bad, can't sue.

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Having made up his mind to pay Iruka a visit, Kakashi made his way towards Iruka's apartment. It couldn't hurt to visit for a bit before going home. Alighting near the door, he knocked once before waiting to see if the chunin would answer the door. While waiting he glanced around. The sun was beginning to set, causing a nice glow in the sky. Rin had once said that sunsets were magical. He had thought she was being... well, a girl... but now he could see what she meant by it. At the sound of the door opening, he tried his attention back to the person standing there. "Yo, Iruka-san." He said calmly. "Just got back, so I thought I'd pester you for a few minutes."

"You just got back?" Kakashi nodded at the chunin's question. Iruka smiled a little and gestured inside. "Would you like to come in? I just finished with marking so I'm free." '_Ahh, ever the polite chunin hmm_', Kakashi decided with a smile as he accepted the offer assuring Iruka that he wouldn't stay for long. Iruka's apartment was rather comfortable. There were various pieces of art done by students probably, hanging on the walls, littering the windowsills, and even the kitchen table. The living room table was covered in what appeared to be the day's homework.

"Torturing those monsters of yours?" Kakashi teased lightly. Iruka followed his gaze and frowned.

"Homework is hardly torture Kakashi-san. Homework doesn't even compare to the real deal." Iruka sounded pretty upset, Kakashi noted with a wince. That hadn't been his intent. Sure he liked annoying people but not like this.

"True... but to them, it is torture. Wait until they're older, then they'll be able to fully appreciate what you do for them." There, hopefully that would remedy his earlier comment. Thankfully, Iruka relaxed and seemed to calm down enough to ask Kakashi if he wanted anything. "No, I'll be going shortly. Just wanted to drop by for a bit before going home." He paused thinking about that little incident before he left on the mission. "And in case I didn't say it then, thanks for lending me your vest when I took that nap." He scratched his chin absently while Iruka blinked, recalling the event Kakashi was speaking of.

"Oh, your welcome." Iruka smiled softly. It wasn't that big a deal to Iruka but if Kakashi wanted to be polite well, why stop him?

Kakashi did leave shortly afterwards, continuing on home wards. Iruka smiled as he leaned against his kitchen counter after Kakashi had left. He wondered briefly if he was suppose to be this happy. '_Of course I am. He came back from mission safe. That's reason enough to be happy._' He decided with a nod. Somehow during the time since he had began to hang around with Kakashi and now, he had begun to enjoy the time spent with him, regardless of how short. Kakashi always managed to surprise him and kept him guessing. Maybe that was why. No matter how hard he tried, Kakashi was a puzzle that refused to be solved. And Iruka wanted to solve at least some of that puzzle.

He started laughing softly to himself. He couldn't believe it... but it was true. Somehow, he had gone from just trying to offer a few minutes of comfort to a fellow shinobi, to not only enjoying the man's presence but enjoying the thrill of trying to understand him!

He shook his head softly, still smiling. It was true... all he knew about Kakashi's past was that his father had been on par with the Legendary Sannin, and that Kakashi went to the memorial pretty much every day, which suggested a loss that the jounin hasn't recovered from yet. Or losses... Iruka realised, frowning as he considered that idea. Sighing, he shifted and decided that he might as well eat something before calling it a night.

-over to Kakashi-

Kakashi studied the photo of his old genin team. Most specifically, his gaze focused on a certain person. And for once, it wasn't Obito. Instead he was studying his old sensei. Yondaime had always tried to encourage Kakashi to try and get along with kids his own age. It was usually a failed effort though. But now, he was actually getting along with someone. Iruka was a few years younger but not by much. He wondered if Yondaime was cursing at him for taking so long. Well... cursing was a bit of a harsh word. It would be more like berating.

Iruka was interesting. The way he could go from one mood to another and back again in a very short, how he hasn't gone crazy from teaching the little monsters... and why he felt Kakashi was worth offering comfort to.He still couldn't understand what Iruka saw in him worth trying to save, hell, he didn't even know if he was cabable of being saved. But... he was tired... tired of being the strong one, tired of being alone. Maybe Iruka saw what Kakashi had failed to see all these years. He wouldn't put it past the chunin. The guy had to be good to keep a whole class of monsters in line without sever injury.

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End of chapter five. Poor Kakashi seems a bit depressed but I sure Iruka will cheer him up.


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